Shady Side Academy - Academian Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

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S 5 , r 'gf A:, 4, 'i ti swwmwwfik- -' f Sharing ideas, Bill Semins, Kathy lla- vens, Todd Green, and Mike Srodes work in a group in Mr. Hench's US. History class, When Mr. Hench went on sabbatical in January, the students were forced to adjust to the new teach- ing style of replacement Mr. Bruce Jor- dan. Mv.Nfns, MW., .- . f V nov-awwrulx-w,.i,.4.,. - f l The heavy workload or perhaps adjust ing to new teachers induces senior Thatcher Montgomery to r-arch rome z's in a social studies classroom. ,V -mn . Ind endent Stud only turn but also to turn rnaturefmembers e has c ha n g e s thespirit S ill' y As in all opportunities which call for student responsibility, there is a potential risk of abuse. in order to insure that this program is iusedas intended, a guideline of re' quirements was decidedupon by the faculty. ln order fora program to be approved, a student must have a project advisor in the area of his interest and must submit the project for review by the indepen- dent Study Committee tmade up of the heads of different depart- mentsi. Approval largely hinges on the students down academic re- cord, For the students who pursue this alternative, the benefits are numerous. They are able to ex- plore creative, often unexpected ,topics of inquiry, running the gam- ut from Advanced Studies in Latin Poetry by Darah Himmelhoch, to the study of Analytical Writing by Mindy Gottfried, to Confucianism by Chris Marquis, to Journalism by Jamie Beckerman, Many found that this program enabled them to focus on a particular area more ex- tensively after taking a more gen- eral course within the SSA curricu- lum. While most are well-motivat ed by self-interest, some students find the program to be a way to test their own academic abilities. Senior Matt Braidic, who under- took an independent study in histo- ry, did so to prove to Mr. I-lench that he could write a good history paper. Darah Himmelhoch's exper- ience in taking the independent study program accurately sums up the reasons that students are turning to this alternative. i did an independent studyrbe- cause l had completed all the Latin courses offered at the Academy, and l wanted to continue it. lf l could, l'd do it again. lt was helpful to me in that there was a 'one to one' relationship with the tutor so l learned more than if l had been in ciass. lt's also more personal and flexible when you run into a tight schedule or problems. It taught me to schedule my time. Given the rewards of the pro- gram, independent studies will un- doubtedly continue to be a popular alternative for students in the fu- ture. Social Studiesflndependent Study 23

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nd p nd nee War any students exper- ienced brief periods of confusion this year due to the unusually large turnover of Social Studies teachers. There were many additions to the faculty as a result of former department head Robert Kirkpatrick becoming Director of Admissions. As he was responsible for many demanding duties, he was no longer able to carry his heavy Social Studies workload. Two new faculty, Mr. James Blitch and Ms. Laura Peder- sen, were hired in order to take over many of Kirkpatrick's classes. These new and relatively young teachers were unknown quantities to many students who already approached their new classes with trepidation. Students no longer had the security of being familiar with the teachers' reputa- tions and expectations. Adding to the initial confusion of facing the unknown for some students, other students had to deal with a sudden change of teachers in the middle of the year due to Dr. Sauer's and Mr. Hench's half year sabbaticals. Mr. Bruce Jordan took their places in their absences. The changes in the Social Studies Department were unsettling to say the least for the brought refreshing insights and perspectives to the material. lt was a time of growth not only for the students but also for the new teachers. Mr. James Blitch felt that he had grown along with his students. While he had observed the development of potential in his own students, he also had found his own abilities as a teacher bene- fiting from the experience. Students next year will also be facing a degree of uncertainty as the change in department organi- zation will again cause new faculty to join the department. Mr. Robert Veto will give up his position as head of the department to become the Dean of Students. Dr. Sauers will return to the position of De- partment head, and a new teacher, Mr. Wilson, will take the place of Ms. Judy Bell. Another new face on campus will be intern Ms. Doer- ing who will be working with Mr. Hench. Changes in faculty are not the only exciting developments as a new history course will be of- fered: Advanced Placement Euro- pean History and an updated Mod- ern European History. lt is hoped that these new devel- opments will result in the same growth undergone by both faculty l students, but out of this confusion came an unexpected bonus. The new faces and new personalities 'iii B 1 'N and students of the 1987-1988 school year. 3 Q . We t Nm. 22 Academics Qs Letting his mind wander from presidents and politics, junior Jason Kushner looks away from the board during Mr. Veto's Ll.S. History class. ln a quiet corner of Rowe Common, used to working on her own, having Mindy Gottfried uses the solitude to completed an independent study in get some work done. Gottfried was analytical writing.

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Melodi he Fine Arts Department was one that finally began to make advances in the S.S.A. curriculum. Shady Side has recognized the importance of mu- sic, art, theatre, and dance as bal- ances to academics and athletics. The visits by the Dance Alloy, the plans for a new fine arts building, and the addition of choir and en- semble periods into the school day symbolized a growing awareness of student and faculty needs to ex- plore other facets of life. The music department recently benefited from the addition of Mr. Dan Brill, who replaced Ms. Betsy Thomas as choral director. The choir expanded to include a choir concert, as well as Core, Mens', and Senior choirs, all under Mr. BriIl's direction. The quality of the performances also improved 10071. His experience in the Men- delssohn choir and with other choirs enabled him to achieve the results that he wanted, not only making the choir sound good, but also teaching them why they should sound good. Mr. Brill also taught two music classes within the S.S.A. curriculum. Music Ap- preciation, a term course which many continued for the entire year, covered a historical ap- proach to music, highlighting con- certs at Heinz Hall. Music Theory, a full year course, was an intensive study of the fundamentals of mu- sic, ranging from key signatures to the different complex chord vari- ations. Theory students analyzed many pieces of music, learning why the great composers are great, and how they manipulated the basics to achieve a desired ef- fect. For a final project, the stu- dents wrote their own 32-bar piece of music. Mr. Stan Nevola also deserved credit for his recent work with the ensembles, whose quality of per- formance also improved in the last few years. The ensembles includ- ed String, Woodwind, Jazz, and Small Jazz, which was continued this year and co-directed by Ralph Falbo. Mr. Nevola also taught Mu- sic Workshop, which enabled stu- dents to learn how to play instru- ments they might not have other- wise. Such instruments included guitar and recorder, among others, and students were allowed to work at their own pace. The choirs and the ensembles together both performed three school concerts and were able to travel and perform outside of S.S.A. Men's and Core Choir were once again invited to sing at Hartwood Acres Mansion during the holidays, as well as the Fox Chapel Racquet Club. The Jazz en- semble played at the Harmarville Rehab Center, and the String En- semble went to Sewickley for a performance. All ensembles and choirs performed this year at the GSX building downtown. 24 Academics Voices join together in Memorial Hall as a portion of the concert choir rehearses for the Dec. 13 and 14 Winter Concert perfor- mances, while under the direction of Mr, Dan Brill. Expanding horizons. members of the jazz, wood- wind, and string ensembles in addition to Mr. Stan Nevola, leam to read a dance score instead of the usual instrumental sheet music under the guidance of Dance Alloy members Ms. Christina .lowers and Mr. Scott Timm fback, centenj Body movement as a form of expression is ex- plored by Jennifer Wamhoff and Meiissa McCa- gue during a session in Mellon Gymnasium held by the Dance Alloy.